Ayla
Say it: AY-la
GirlMeans in Turkish, usually "halo around the moon"4 letters2 syllables
#39
in Ireland (2025)
112
babies in 2025
#39
best rank (2025)
781
babies since 1999
Up 225
10-year rank change
Ayla through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (girls) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 112 | #39 |
| 2024 | 100 | #54 |
| 2023 | 94 | #60 |
| 2022 | 82 | #66 |
| 2021 | 68 | #82 |
| 2020 | 46 | #113 |
| 2019 | 47 | #119 |
| 2018 | 18 | #255 |
| 2017 | 30 | #172 |
| 2016 | 23 | #208 |
| 2015 | 19 | #264 |
| 2014 | 17 | #291 |
| 2013 | 25 | #220 |
| 2012 | 18 | #281 |
| 2011 | 9 | #470 |
| 2010 | 15 | #333 |
| 2009 | 8 | #489 |
| 2007 | 14 | #307 |
| 2006 | 9 | #396 |
| 2005 | 4 | #588 |
| 2004 | 4 | #576 |
| 2003 | 3 | #655 |
| 2002 | 6 | #406 |
| 2000 | 5 | #413 |
| 1999 | 5 | #393 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Ayla mean?
In Turkish, usually "halo around the moon"
Turkish, from ay (moon); a separate Hebrew name is linked with a word for oak or terebinth.
Say it right
AYla
The story of Ayla
Ayla has more than one root. In Turkish, where it is a common girls’ name, it is built on ay, “moon”, and is usually explained as the halo of light around the moon. In Hebrew a similar name is linked with the word for a terebinth or oak tree, and sometimes with words for a doe or deer. These are separate names that happen to sound the same.
Many readers know it from Jean Auel’s novel The Clan of the Cave Bear, whose heroine is called Ayla. In Ireland it also shares its sound with the Irish name Éala, which is counted separately.
Ayla first reached the CSO list in 1999 but stayed small until about 2019. It has risen every year since 2020 and reached number 39 in 2025, with 112 girls, its best year so far. In Northern Ireland its best place was 75th, in 2021.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Ayla (name)
- Wiktionary: Ayla (Turkish proper noun)
- CSO VSA60, Girls Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- NISRA, Baby Names in Northern Ireland
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Ayla | 112 | 781 |
In Northern Ireland
#82 in 2025 with 26 babies. Best rank #75 (2021); 248 babies since 2007.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.